Move fast and break things for 0.001% of users. In other words, try bold things, bold refactorings, etc. within bounds. If a system is designed with good modu

Move fast and break things for 0.001% of users. In other words, try bold things, bold refactorings, etc. within bounds. If a system is designed with good modularity, this can be done with very low risk. When someone deploys new code at Facebook, I recall reading that it initially goes out to internal users, then to a small percentage of actual users, then eventually to the entire system. This is simply a systems-based approach. The same applies when thinking about code in a testing environment, staging server, etc. At each level there are additional failure modes or adverse interactions. When done stupidly, a cowboy approach can lead to downtime, poorly-reasoned quick fixes, and blame within an institution. Often the same cowboy/girl who acted stupidly and caused the bug is lauded as a hero when he gets things working again a week later after the bug is discovered... when it was his/her bad judgment (or "move fast" mentality) that led the offending code to be shipped in the first place. We must be honest with ourselves and our teams about bad decisions (even in hindsight) and build processes that let us be bold when we need to.